Wild monkey sightings in Florida prompts warnings from officials
Officials in Florida are warning residents to keep their distance from wild monkeys that have been spotted around the city.
Officials in Florida are warning residents to keep their distance from wild monkeys that have been spotted around the city.
Residents of Orange City, about 30 miles north of Orlando, have reported multiple sightings of wild monkeys within the city, the Orange City Police Department said in a Facebook post Wednesday.
The department said at least one of those monkeys was later identified as a Rhesus macaque monkey, a species that is native to Asia and can become aggressive when fed, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Police warned locals not to feed or try to capture the monkeys and to report sightings to the commission's Wildlife Alert Hotline.
Feeding wild monkeys in Florida is a second-degree misdemeanor punishable by up to 60 days in jail and a fine of up to $500, according to information from the commission that the police department shared on Facebook, which adds that feeding wild monkeys can increase the likelihood of attacks, injuries and the transmission of disease.
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